Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 936: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of inspections of private rented accommodation in 2005, 2006 and 2007; the number which did not meet housing standards in each year; and the number of prosecutions of landlords in each year. [12565/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 975: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of inspectors employed by each local authority for the inspection of rented dwellings; the breakdown of rented dwellings, both private and local authority, per local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11864/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 976: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the fee payable by landlords registering with the Private Residential Tenancies Board; the amount of that fee allocated to cover the cost of inspecting the accommodation; the funds from other sources allocated to inspections; the average cost of carrying out an inspection; if the money collected for inspection is allocated in full to the local authority responsible for the rented dwelling or if not in full, at what percentage; the amount allocated to each local authority in each year since the setting up of the PRTB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11865/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 936, 975 and 976 together.

Standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993, made under section 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these regulations. Failure to do so is an offence, subject, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €3,000, or a term of six months in prison or both and €250 for each day of a continuing offence. Responsibility for enforcing the regulations rests with the relevant local authority, supported by a dedicated stream of funding allocated by my Department.

As I have no function in relation to staffing arrangements for inspection purposes, information on the number of inspectors employed by each local authority for this purpose is not available in my Department.

Details of the numbers of private rented housing registrations and local authority houses let are published in the Annual Housing Statistics Bulletins, which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Details of the numbers of inspections of private rented accommodation carried out in 2005 and 2006, the number of dwellings inspected which did not meet the statutory standards and the number of prosecutions taken are also included in these publications. Similar information in respect of 2007 is not yet available.

The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 provides for a registration fee of €70 per tenancy where the tenancy is registered within one month of the commencement of the tenancy and a fee of €140 where the tenancy is registered after this period. The Act also provides for a composite fee of €300 for multiple tenancies in one building, which is not available to late registration of multiple tenancies. €50 of each €70 fee is used to support local authorities in performing their functions in relation to the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 1993 and the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations 1993 and other provisions of the Housing Acts relating to private rented accommodation.

The allocation of additional funds from other local authority sources towards inspections is a matter for individual authorities. Information on the average cost of carrying out an inspection is not available in my Department.

I refer to the reply to Question No. 140 of 10 October 2007 in relation to the funding allocated to local authorities in 2004, 2005 and 2006 from the proceeds of tenancy registration fees. Details of the first tranche (€1.5m) of funding in respect of 2007 inspection activity are set out in the following table. The second tranche (€1.5m) of this funding will issue shortly to local authorities based on their inspection outturns. Given that allocations are increasingly linked to inspection performance, where a particular authority's inspection activity is low relative to others, this is reflected in reduced allocations.